First frosts are approaching | Here are ideas for being ready || Charles Dowding
77,536
Published 2023-10-13
Autumn has a few boundary points between summer lingering, and the winter approaching. Before this occurs to the extent of resulting in frost, there are harvests to make. Plus I show the simple soil preparation for winter and next spring, when growing no dig.
We look at a range of seasonal jobs. Firstly clearing tomatoes in the polytunnel, with tips on ripening the green ones.
Then outside I show you harvesting the butternut squash. With tips on other frost sensitive vegetables.
Finally I plant garlic and spread compost. It's homemade compost and I spread it on all beds before winter, until we run out. Then I spread some bought-in composts too, all mulching at a depth of around one inch, 2.5cm.
00:00 Introduction
00:55 In the polytunnel - clearing plants, and tomatoes at three stages of ripeness
03:19 I demonstrate clearing a tomato plant (with some late blight)
07:06 Cucumber plants, with some diseased leaves - not a problem
07:38 Peppers
07:44 Loofa plant
07:53 Marigolds, anti-aphid, and their seeds
08:49 Outside - which plants are susceptible to frost
09:07 Squash - butternut, how ripe are they?
10:21 Courgettes - harvest before frost
10:43 Chillies, aubergines and peppers - all frost sensitive
11:24 Fennel and celery, and allow for your microclimate
12:23 More vegetables that are affected frost, incl. beetroot
13:07 Mulching the ground to prepare soil for winter
13:22 Planting garlic before spreading the compost
14:33 Seasonal jobs - my perennial diary, and calendar LINK
15:46 Spacing of the garlic, and what could follow in the spring
16:15 Spreading the compost over the garlic
17:50 Outro
Filmed 10th October at Homeacres no dig market and teaching garden, by Edward Dowding. The climate is temperate oceanic, zone 8, location is Somerset, UK.
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#nodig #harvest #soilpreparation #garlic #compost
All Comments (21)
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Charles, your channel is a reservoir of calm, beauty and bounty. There is plenty of physical work behind it and a great formula to create peace now.
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There is a level of humility, love and compassion from you, Charles, that I find so soothing and therapeutic. Then there’s the gardening ideas. Love it all. You are loved in our household. ❤🙏🏽
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I love learning gardening , but I also visit here when I have anxiety. It always calms my spirit.
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Loved watching you plant the garlic. Thanks for the spacing tip in order to plant carrots in the Spring!
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Hi Charles, here in Kazakhstan we also plant garlic in early October. Then we cover it with old greenery from the garden. It acts as insulation against the freezing temperatures which return with a vengeance in late October but don't leave until late March.
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This time of year I like to plant samples of my leftover seeds, to see if they still germinate. This helps me prepare for winter seed purchasing.
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Green tomatoes -- make green tomato jam -- tastes a bit like gooseberry jam.
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I love growing garlic. It’s just so easy and goes in everything I cook.
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WE FULLY UNDERSTAND !!!! WE CAN’T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES WE’VE WOKEN UP IN THE MORNING, DRENCHED IN COLD SWEATS BECAUSE WE REALIZED WE HAVEN’T PLANTED OUR GARLIC YET !!!!!
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Thankyou Charles, even here in Aus, where our seasons are reversed to yours, these videos are just priceless. I’ll be watching this one again in April! 🇦🇺
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Mother earth has her own soul, Charles & I know she absolutely loves you & then some, Simply for helping her help plants grow. 🤎 plus your helping us to help sustain & build back up the Beautiful Mother Earth. 😃
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Nice to see. Am in northern south africa. 35 degrees C here today. 3 mms rain in last 6 months - but where there is a will there is a way. Multiple no dig gardens loaded with a diverse array of crops. Compost bays full. No dig is wonderful. Thx for insights
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Autumn is my favourite season but I do find I feel a bit guilty, almost sad clearing plants that are finished - almost like saying goodbye to old friends!
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Thanks again for all the tips Charles. We've already had our first frost here in southern Scotland. I was ready though lol !
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With following your helpful videos, I have found a mountain of cardboard, then mowed areas of the our yard, then covered with cardboard and 6" of compost. This will be a very large garden. Now the plan is a layer of fall leaves and go to Mexico for 6 months. I really hope when we return north we can plant a bountiful vegetable garden. These areas have been very troubling with tangled mess of weeds every spring when we arrive back home. I've also created paths with wood chips
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Just in time for planting my garlic tomorrow, I was wondering how I was going to add the compost and now I know it can go on top. Thank you Charles.
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Good morning, Charles, from Windermere, Florida 9b USA ❤ I just planted garlic in a big growpot, after soaking the cloves overnight in Worm Casting Tea. This is my first attempt after hearing friends say they didn't have any luck during the summer. So fingers crossed 🤞 Our weather is just begging to drop from the highs of summer. This morning was only 70°F, but 99% humidity 😰 Take care of yourself and keep the no-dig message going💪 ❤Peggy❤
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crops looking great charles
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Just been planting out field beans down at the allotment after sowing a 216 module tray of them 10 days ago. The mustard you recommended sowing on bare ground has done beautifully, 15sqm now covered in a lush overgrowth of green. So my green manure plants for the winter are mostly now done. I have to say that 2023 has been superb for a variety of no-dig autumn/winter root crops, notably beetroot, swede, carrot, parsnip, celeriac, fennel. The winter radish roots have formed but need a few more weeks to come to a decent size - good to see mild damp conditions predicted for the next ten days. For those of experimental bent, I sowed an apple pip 11 years ago in a pot and gradually turned it into a right-angled Espalier. It turns out that the rootstock was pretty vigorous but this year has seen the first really good crop of about 40 apples, which happily for me seem to be ready in mid October, complementing our other two trees which come in late August-early September and early-late September. I now have naming rights for a Pippin 😁
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Good morning, it's a pity that your books are not available in Polish, it's fantastic to watch you, your work, and your love for nature is palpable. Best regards. (Google translation)
